Process of making artificial silk and similar products



/ To all whom it may concern:

' United States,

Patented June 1%, raga.

raocnss'oa mamas aeration-enema axata a:

No Drawing.

Be it known that we, HARRY county tively, have invented tul Improvements in Processes of Making Artificial Silk and Similar Products, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the production of artificial silk and has particular reference to an improved process ofspinning artificial silkfrom a solution of a cellulose compound containing one or more acetyl radicals and i one or more nitro 5 radicals combined with the cellulose radical in one and the same omma-1;

discovered that importantfade have vantages ..,a re obtained by "dissolving such acetylnitro cellulose'in asui'table-quantity. of a mi-xftureof strong acetic acid, preferably glacial acetic acid, and acetone spinning *th'e silk trom such solution. advantage-.isthatthe resultin Y filaments are and One stron and uniform. i 'n'thic 'ness as compare with filaments spun j from a solution i lofthe same cellulose composition in some other solvent, as; for example, acetone. Another advantage is'that the-filament is nearer round-and: lessfribbonlike' in form than I 3 ifspunlfrom a 's'olution insome other sol- -:-"vent A V {further advantage-is that by varying the -proportionsof the; acetic acid and acetoneit is possible tovary the fineness of stood that; strong ace acet1c-acid,must be used; If aceticacid conas for-example. 5 01"; 10 per cent. of water s.

the acetic-"acid it is when spun from the same spin-.

The solventlniay'containitromabout'equal 4o: J' to about-10 partsacid to 190. f. parts go volumes of; stron- 'aceticfacid an acetone taining anyconsiderable amount otflwater,

used 1. a proportion apro'xirnating equal ui'f-andf-acetone is not. thefwater has a pronounced tree, itat =a c1d containing a substantial 'amount,';as for" wmrl 1mm tires-'1 ornament-a, Kama-em, 'oraesjr. tramp-w; rmnanmmr nnnsrnvanra.

Application filed may 14,

P. BAssn'rn and THOMAS F. BANIGANY, citizens of the 1- residing at -Cynthiana,"in the; of Harrison and State of Kentucky, and Philadelphia, in thelcountyt oP11i1a-.; delphia and State of Pennsylvania, respec 'f certain new and use-'. i

precipitating'efi'ect of the water.

prefer to spin the acetyl nitrocellulose from glacialv acetic acid acetone. contains from 8 to from the resulting filaments. v *understood'by those skilled in thisart that K of cellulose composition in. 1

ofstrong acetic "acetone, it-being undertic, preferably glacial 'a nta Wei p iiamt 19a. I seriai 8,-9a. 1 j

' prefenjliowever, in, all cases, .to use-acetic acid containing a not. more than 1- about 3 5" er cent of water and we .orainnny prefer to; use glacial aceticacid to avoid the precip'i- -f.

tating"actiongof-waterin thesolvent since the greater the"percentagev of water- 'therein the greater'must be the proportion of the] acetone to theacetic acid to overcome'the In pract ce m splnnmg artificial silk-for ordinary usage,'such for example as for use;

in the manufacture of. ordinary hosiery',

dress "fabrics, knit" goods, and the like, we

a solution-in about 3 parts by volume of}. glacial acetic acid to Z parts by volume of acetone.

For making very fine" filaments for' usein making the highestjgrade of silk fabric in which a-very'high degree of softbe obtained, we prefer to spin the acetyl nitro cellulose from solution in a ness, flexibility, and resemblance to natural silk are to mixture of about 3 arts by j volume of Our spinning solution ordinarily whether the silk is to be fine, soft' and lofty or strong and of a lesserdegree of fineness, softness and loftness, the. higher'the per-q to" 1 parts by volume of v Y 12 per cent by weight -I.i of the acetyl nitrocellulose depending upon centage of the cellulosejcomposition inlthe spinning solution the stronger and less fine,

soft and lofty will be the fabr'o produced be [materially terred'. I v

ile' out im roved artificial silk can be} dry spun from so ution in the solvent jherein-. before? described we. have. found.- it"to be cons to spin it-"into' a solution which Will n'inediately absorbthe t acetone;

so as indicated-above are however' pre- *n will: he w "For. example, we

froni the filament as'it issuesi'from the s i neret but which'will not-whollyremove the j ce ic-a d t hevi a' en. fo i d hat u' desirable to have thefila'ment under the in};

fluence-ci-the' acetic' 'acid uana is given n spinning solution Ifsftraw and the like final form. This is particularly advantageous in spinning very fine filaments such for example as filaments of to 75 deniers for a thread of 18 filaments. To accomplish this purpose we prefer tospin our filaments preferably upwardly, into-dilute acetic acid of from about 1Q to 50 per;cent strength and We prefer to use acid of about30 per cent strength' a It will be understood that our process is adapted for use in making artificial horse hair, artificial straw and other forms of cellulose bodies which are formed by forcing plastic cellulose material through a shaping orifice.

While we have'described in detail the preferred practice of ourprocess and the {we ferred proportions of reagents it is to be understood that the details of procedure of such process and the proportion of materials used maybe varied within the scope of the subjoined claims without departure from the spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. The herein described process'of making artificial silk, artificial horse hair, artificial straw and the like which consists in dissolving a cellulose composition containing both acetyl and nitro groups combined with cellulose in a single compound in a mixture of strong acetic acid and acetone to form a and forcing the spinningsolution through- 2, shaping orifice.

2. The herein described process of making artificial silk, artificial horsehair, artificial which consists in dis: solving a cellulose composition containing both acetyl and nitro groups combined with cellulose in a single compound in a mixture of about from 10 to 50 parts by volume of strong acetic acid to 50 to 90 parts by volume of acetone to form a spinning solution and forcing the spinning solution through a shaping orifice.

3. The herein described process of making artificial silk, artificial horse hair, artificial straw and the like which consists in dissolving a cellulose composition containing both acetyl and nitro groups combined with cellulose in a single compound in a mixture of about from 10 to 50 parts'by volume of glacial acetic acid to 50 to 90 parts by volume of acetone to'form a spinning solution solution through a shaping and forcing the spinning solution through a shaping orifice.

4. The herein described process of making artificial silk, artificial horse hair, artificial straw and the like which consists in dissolving a cellulose composition containing both acetyl and nitro groups combined. with cellulose in a single compound in a mixture of strong acetic acid and acetone to form a spinning solution, and forcing the spin ning solution through a shaping orifice into a liquid adapted to withdraw the acetone therefrom acetic acid. 1 J

5. The herein described process of making artificial silk, artificial horse hair, artificial straw and the like which consists in dissolving a cellulose composition"containing both acetyl and nitro groups combined with cellulose in a single compound in a mixture of strong acetic acid and acetone to form ,a spinning solution and forcing the spinning solutlonthrough a shaping orifice into a solution of dilute acetic acid.

6. The herein described process of making artificial silk, artificial horse hair, artificial straw and the like which consists in dis solving a cellulose composition containing both acetyl and nitro groups combined with cellulose in a single compound in a mixtureof strong acetic acid and acetone to form'a spinning solution and forcing the spinning orifice into a solution of dilute acetic acid of about from 10 to 50 per cent stren th. 1

7. The herein descri ed process of making artificial silk, artificial horse hair, artificial straw and the like which consists in dissolving a cellulose composition containing both acetyl and nitro groups combined with cellulose In a single compound in a mixture of strong acetic acid and acetone to form 'a spinning solution and forcing the spinning solution through a shaping orifice into without wholly withdrawing the a solution of dilute acetic acid, of about 30 per cent strength.

In testimony whereof weafiixour signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY P. BASSET'II THOMAS F. BANIGAN. Witnesses:

EVA RonERTs,

R. ARCHIB/ALD. 

